After reading this well-written article, I thought about Ivan Cleary's reactions in press conferences, when the team has lost. If my memory serves me correctly, he is usually complimentary about the general performance of the team, followed by a "but"". Some of these "buts"" have been:-
1. We need to learn to perform like that for the whole eighty minutes.
2. We performed well, but for some of the big moments, we could have done better.
3. We are trying to change the defensive pattern and this takes time.
Ivan does NOT criticise the refereeing and the bunker.
Ivan does NOT blame the players, but he does indicate where they need to improve.

Look I am up for a little ref sledging. Especially if that ref is Cameron Smith! It has become a joke lately and when the scores are close. Your team needs to pull it in and go for the hard, gutsy win.

The whingeing culture of Flanno probably plays a part in the whingeing culture of the Sharks team. Taking dives, playing for the penalty... poor sportsmanship and embarrassing to watch.

I have been saying for a long while now that I would like it so that only the captain is permitted to speak to the referee. And it must be with the utmost respect or the ref will sin bin you. No whingeing to the ref allowed, they should be the ultimate authority. No coaches could whinge about refs either. It's just a reflection of the spoilt brats in our game, whingeing (or tanking or pulling the mental health card) to get out of contracts.

Refs will make mistakes sometimes, they are human, but if you're going to win the game you need to be good enough to beat the other side, beat the iffy refs decisions, and beat lady luck all together. And if you aren't good enough to beat those three things, you aren't good enough to control the things that are in your power, you deserve to lose and it is your own fault.

After reading this well-written article, I thought about Ivan Cleary's reactions in press conferences, when the team has lost. If my memory serves me correctly, he is usually complimentary about the general performance of the team, followed by a "but"". Some of these "buts"" have been:-
1. We need to learn to perform like that for the whole eighty minutes.
2. We performed well, but for some of the big moments, we could have done better.
3. We are trying to change the defensive pattern and this takes time.
Ivan does NOT criticise the refereeing and the bunker.
Ivan does NOT blame the players, but he does indicate where they need to improve.

I am glad he is our coach.

To be fair , Jason Taylor, never criticised the refs either.
I guess there are a few coaches who dont. I think Nathan Brown is one as well.

Has the referring standard declined or has the camera work got better. I think we are nearly better off without the bunker. Let the refs make calls in real time at game speed. Slowing the replays down to frame by frame speed is crazy.

I also think the NRL has to start binning players who rush in and give the ref a gob full. I know in the heat of the moment it is not to react but the ref has to be given space and respect

Now back to the post...When you get beaten in a sudden death final, you bite you tongue, say something nice about the other mob, lament on what might have been and thank your supporters. You save any spray till the dust has settled and do it through the proper channels. By having a dummy spit on TV, what message are you sending out to the kids. Life is full of bad calls, get over it and move on

I'm sure the knives will be out for him at some point over the next 3 years.

Doesn't it happen to every coach.

Does at our club.

Because we keep hiring crap coaches.

Or coaches who have had both arms tied behind their backs. Cleary walking in to our club when he did with the freedom to paint with a blank canvas would be the envy of most coaches. Definitely made his job easier in comparison to previous coaches.

Or coaches who have had both arms tied behind their backs. Cleary walking in to our club when he did with the freedom to paint with a blank canvas would be the envy of most coaches. Definitely made his job easier in comparison to previous coaches.

Both can be true. Look at the change in outcomes Cleary got with Taylor's roster. Taylor (and Potter) both had very little flexibility. They were also both hopeless. No contradiction there.

I guess Cleary is smart enough to know that a rant and a spray gets you 10g fine and nothing else. I also think Cleary is setting the bar for his players. How can you demand discipline and composure in your players and than go off like a two bob cracker at the presso.

Of course the only thing if we had just lost a sudden death final on the back of a couple crappy calls this forum would be going off big time and questioning why Cleary did not let fly at the presso

I guess Cleary is smart enough to know that a rant and a spray gets you 10g fine and nothing else. I also think Cleary is setting the bar for his players. How can you demand discipline and composure in your players and than go off like a two bob cracker at the presso.

Of course the only thing if we had just lost a sudden death final on the back of a couple crappy calls this forum would be going off big time and questioning why Cleary did not let fly at the presso

I would expect supporters to carry on but i do expect and respect a coach to suck it all in and not blame the officials.A coach who handles losses with dignity may not be the best coach in the business but he has the right attitude to instill the correct attitude with his players,both Barrett and Flanno have players with poor attitude and little self control which comes from the coach.

After reading this well-written article, I thought about Ivan Cleary's reactions in press conferences, when the team has lost. If my memory serves me correctly, he is usually complimentary about the general performance of the team, followed by a "but"". Some of these "buts"" have been:-
1. We need to learn to perform like that for the whole eighty minutes.
2. We performed well, but for some of the big moments, we could have done better.
3. We are trying to change the defensive pattern and this takes time.
Ivan does NOT criticise the refereeing and the bunker.
Ivan does NOT blame the players, but he does indicate where they need to improve.

I am glad he is our coach.

To be fair , Jason Taylor, never criticised the refs either.
I guess there are a few coaches who dont. I think Nathan Brown is one as well.